This invention relates to a composite, molded panel which may be shaped to form an interior door panel or an interior trim panel for a vehicle or to form similar types of panels used for other purposes. It is especially useful in producing vehicle interior door and trim panels having decorative inserts which differ in appearance and composition from other portions of the surfaces of the panels.
Interior door panels for vehicles are typically made by first forming a preselected size and shape foundation board made of stiff particle board, fiber board, or plastic board-like material. Then, one or more cloth-like sheets are fastened to the surface of the board. The board may also function to support other items, such as window regulator parts, small motors, wiring and the like, which are located upon or within the door. In many vehicles, the interior surfaces of the door panels are decoratively enhanced by adding inserts upon the panel. The inserts may be in the form of smaller sections or panels which may be formed, for example, of carpet-like sheets or sheets with heavily textured surfaces or sheets of different surface colors or material. Ordinarily, the joint line that appears around each of these inserts is a high frequency weld line or a fabricated trim strip which overlaps and conceals the raw edges of the insert and helps maintain the insert in place.
Typically, the interior door and trim panels of the type described above, are assembled out of separate parts which are positioned upon the foundation board and fastened together, one by one, to provide a complete panel assembly. This assembly is fastened within the metal or plastic door or within other parts of the interior of the vehicle. This technique for manufacturing interior door and trim panels is relatively time-consuming and expensive. Moreover, this limits the ability to significantly contour or curve the interior surfaces of the vehicle. For example, it is difficult to provide a curved or contoured foundation board and to cover such a curved board. Therefore, vehicle interior door surfaces are relatively flat and other trim surfaces are also of limited curvature.
Thus, this invention relates to a plastic molding method for making interior door and trim panels and the like, which may be curved, and which have different inserts molded in place, at reduced costs and with enhanced decorative appearances.